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Ones to watch in the second half of 2013/14 - Part 2

vor 2 Stunden

There are a number of younger players looking to make a name for themselves during the second half of the 2013/14 seasonDutch international Ola John brings pace to a Hamburger SV side currently sat dangerously close to the relegation zone...... while Seung-Woo Ryu (pictured) joins South Korean compatriot Heung Min Son at Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Munich - The 2013/14 Bundesliga Rückrunde is upon us and, with several players looking to prove a point at their respective clubs, the second half of the campaign is set to be just as thrilling as the first.

bundesliga.com takes a look at some of the younger stars looking to make the step up when the action gets back underway this weekend...

With a view to plugging the gap left by injured forward Maximilian Beister, Hamburger SV head coach Bert van Marwijk has brought in John on loan from SL Benfica. The Liberian-born Dutch winger struggled to live up to his potential after swapping the Eredivisie for the Portuguese Primeira Liga in the summer of 2012, but brings some much-needed pace, creativity and versatility to a Hamburg side that have won just four times in the league this season.

Borussia Dortmund loanee Leitner also has much to prove following a conspicuous start to his time at VfB Stuttgart. After joining the club on a two-year loan deal in July 2013, the 21-year-old is still awaiting his first Bundesliga goal in a barren spell now spanning 53 top-fight outings. Leitner did manage an assist against Hannover 96 on Matchday 15, though, excelling out of position in defensive midfield.

Papadopoulos celebrated his first Bundesliga appearance following a 383-day spell on the sidelines in FC Schalke's pre-winter win over SC Freiburg on Matchday 16. The Greece international's return comes as a timely and significant boost for the seventh-placed Royal Blues, with 'Papa' having won 70 per cent of his attempted challenges and 78 per cent of his aerial tussles, before tearing knee ligaments in November 2012.

Ryu may be a relative unknown quantity in the Bundesliga, but the 20-year-old showcased his talent on the international stage last summer, chipping in with a couple of assists to help South Korea into the knockout stages of the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Ryu has also hit the ground running at his new club, grabbing his first goal in a Bayer 04 Leverkusen shirt in the second half of an hour-long friendly against Dutch side SC Heerenveen.

Bouy follows countryman Ola John to Hamburger SV's Imtech Arena on loan until the end of the season. The Dutch Under-19 international has just one competitive appearance under his belt for parent club Juventus, but enjoyed a productive loan spell with Brescia Calcio in the Italian second tier, scoring once in 19 appearances. The midfielder cites FIFA World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane as his idol.